<
  • Print  |
  • Feedback  |

Knowledge Base


TS-646

User Troubleshooting Guide for SAS OnlineDocumentation

Troubleshooting:

Problem:

You receive the following error message when you open SAS OnlineDoc from within SAS:

SAS OnlineDoc is not properly linked into the SAS System. This linkage must be completed manually for SAS OnlineDoc to be available from within the SAS System. To accomplish this, do as follows:

  1. Follow the installation instructions provided with the SAS OnlineDoc for its installation.
  2. Locate the SAS configuration file, sasv8.cfg. This file should be found at the root level of the directory where the core of the SAS System is installed.
  3. Edit the sasv8.cfg, locating the following line:

    -DOCLOC     file://SASROOT\core\help\base.hlp\docloc.htm

    where SASROOT represents the location where the core of the SAS System is installed.

    Replace that line with a URL or file reference to
    <install root>/sasdoc/sashtml/onldoc.htm in the location where SAS OnlineDoc is installed.

    For example,
    -DOCLOC file://f:\sasdoc\sashtml\onldoc.htm (local install)

    -DOCLOC http://<Web domain>/<install root>/sashtml/onldoc.htm (Web server install)
  4. The SAS System will only read the configuration file when it first starts up. So, if the SAS System is running it must be closed and restarted.

Solution:

Either the –DOCLOC path is incorrect or there may be two of them, one which is correct, and the other which is not. This typically happens when you have SAS OnlineDoc installed, and then upgrade to a more recent release of SAS.

The default location for <sas root> is c:\program files\sas institute\sas\v8. Open the following file in Notepad or another text editor:

C:\<sas root>\sasv8.cfg

Do a search on "DOCLOC." You should see a path similar to the following:

/* Default locations for online help */

-DOCLOC file://c:\Program Files\SASOnlineDocV8\sasdoc\sashtml\onldoc.htm

If you do not, change the path to point to the location of the onldoc.htm file. If you do, continue searching for another –DOCLOC path. If you find one, you may either delete or uncomment it.

 

SAS OnlineDoc is not properly linked error message – continued

 

The second –DOCLOC path typically looks like the following:

/* Default locations for online help */

-DOCLOC "file://c:\Program Files\SAS Institute\sas\v8\core\help\base.hlp\docloc.htm"

Problem:

The following nuisance error and two Netscape browser windows appear when invoking SAS OnlineDoc with Netscape:

file://c:\Program Files\SASOnlineDocV8\sasdoc\sashtml\onldoc.htm cannot be found

When you click on OK to the message, one Netscape browser window closes. SAS OnlineDoc remains open in the second Netscape browser window.

NOTE: The error message is slightly different for Windows 2000. It says something like "Access is denied, file not found."

Solution:

To eliminate the second browser window and the error message above, you need to disable the ‘Use DDE’ box with the Netscape Hypertext Document file type.

Windows NT:

Windows Explorer or My Computer->View->Options->File Types->choose Netscape Hypertext Document, Edit->Actions, choose open, Edit->remove the check from the ‘Use DDE’ box and click OK three times.

Windows 2000:

Windows Explorer or My Computer->Tools->Folder Options->File Types and choose Netscape Hypertext htm->Advanced-> and within Edit File Type Actions, choose Open and Edit-> disable ‘USE DDE’ and click OK three times.

NOTE: If the ‘Use DDE’ option is disabled with the Netscape Hypertext htm file, try disabling ‘Use DDE’ with the Netscape Hypertext Html file.

Problem:

Left frame is blank after invoking SAS OnlineDoc.

Solution:

  1. If you are using Netscape and it is not specified within SAS as your default browser, you may encounter a blank left frame when opening SAS OnlineDoc.

To determine if Netscape is specified as your default browser within SAS:

Go to Tools->Options->Preferences->Web

If Default is enabled, and Netscape is opened when you invoke SAS OnlineDoc from Help->Books and Training->SAS OnlineDoc, then it is your default browser. Go to Solution #2. If Other is enabled, and a path to the netscape.exe file is specified, then it is not specified as your default browser. See below.

In the Location box in Netscape, you may see a path similar to the following:

file://c:\Program Files\SASOnlineDocV8\sasdoc\sashtml\onldoc.htm

Change the path by adding a third forward slash and press enter:

file:///c:\Program Files\SASOnlineDocV8\sasdoc\sashtml\onldoc.htm

 

2) A blank left frame indicates that your browser is not Java-enabled.

Internet Explorer:

Go to Tools->Internet Options->Advanced.

Scroll down the page looking for Microsoft VM. If it is there, make sure that the box beside JIT compiler is checked. You may also want to check both the Java console and Java logging boxes to enable further troubleshooting. If you do not see an entry for Microsoft VM in the list, go to the following address to download:

http://www.microsoft.com/java

Netscape:

Edit->Preferences->Advanced (double-click)

Enable Java and Enable JavaScript need to be checked. If they are not, check them and click on OK.

Problem:

Searching returns "No matches found", a Java exception error, or other problems. The most common Java errors follow:

Error accessing search tool: java.io.FileNotFoundException

Error in search, java.lang.NullPointerException





Solution:



If you are running locally, from either a local install of the SAS OnlineDoc, or from the CDROM, use the following steps to determine the nature of the problem.  After each step, reopen SAS OnlineDoc and try the search function.



    

      


    1. NOTE: This solution step solved a customer problem but has not been tested or verified by SAS Tech Support.  
    






Check to see if there is an automatic configuration script (Internet Explorer) or automatic proxy configuration (Netscape) specified.  



Internet Explorer:


Tools->Internet Options->Connections->LAN




Copy the address in the ‘Use automatic configuration script’ box to the Proxy Address box.  Then disable ’Use automatic configuration script’ by removing the checkmark.  The address will be grayed out.  Go to #2.



NOTE:  If you disable ‘Use automatic configuration script’ and do not enable Proxy servers, you may not be able to access the Internet due to your site’s firewall.  This may also occur if you disable the ‘Use automatic configuration script’ without copying the address to the Proxy Server Address.  




Netscape:


Edit->Advanced->Proxies




Disable ’Automatic Proxy Configuration’ by enabling either ‘Direct connection to the Internet’ or ‘Manual Proxy Configuration’.  The address in the Configuration location (URL) box will be grayed out.  



NOTE:  When ‘Automatic Proxy Configuration’ is disabled, you may not be able to access the Internet due to your site’s firewall.  



If you enable ‘Manual Proxy Configuration, see the note below and then go to #2.  If not, click OK.      



NOTE:  If you choose to set up a manual proxy configuration, you will need to copy the address from the Configuration location to the HTTP box when you enable ‘Manual proxy configuration’ and choose View.  






SAS OnlineDoc search error steps - continued



    


  1. Verify that a proxy server is not being used to access local addresses.  




Internet Explorer: 


Go to Tools->Internet Options->Connections  




Click on LAN settings.  If the box beside ‘Use a proxy server’ is checked, make sure that the box beside ‘Bypass proxy server for local addresses’ is also checked.  In addition, it may be necessary to explicitly exclude host names from being proxied.  To do this, from the LAN settings window, click on ‘Advanced’.  Include your local machine IP address, ‘LocalHost’, and 127.0.0.1 in the ‘Exceptions’ box.  To locate your machine IP address, see the NOTE below.




Netscape:


Go to Edit->Preferences   




Click on the ‘+’ beside ‘Advanced’.  This will expand the ‘Advanced’ menu.  Choose ‘Proxies’.  If a manual proxy server is chosen, click on ‘View’ to open a window that will allow exceptions to be entered.  Include your local machine IP address, ‘LocalHost’, and 127.0.0.1 in the ‘Exceptions’ box.  To locate your machine IP address, see the NOTE below.




NOTE:	To find your machine IP address, open SAS OnlineDoc, click on the ‘Search’ tab, and press the CTRL-F5 key combination to turn on debugging in the Java console.  Then, open the Java console.  



Internet Explorer: 


Go to View->Java Console



Netscape:


Go to Communicator->Tools->Java console  



Go back to the SAS OnlineDoc and enter the search string of your choice.  The Java console should report the query path that is being constructed by the search program.  The query path displays the IP address.



 



3.	Grant security permissions when requested.




If a security dialog box opens when you launch SAS OnlineDoc using an Internet Explorer browser window, or when you attempt to search the OnlineDoc in Netscape, you need to answer ‘Yes’ to the request for additional permissions.  If these permissions are not granted, searching will not work.





NOTE:	If you use Internet Explorer, and you do not recall seeing a security permissions dialog box when you first opened SAS OnlineDoc, you may need to remove SAS Institute from the Publishers list and reopen SAS OnlineDoc.



Internet Explorer: 


Go to Tools->Internet Options->Content->Publishers and highlight SAS Institute, Incorporated and Remove.



Invoke SAS OnlineDoc.  You should receive a Security Warning dialog box.  Check the box "Always trust content from SAS Institute, Incorporated and click on Yes.



 




NOTE:  If you have exhausted solutions 1-3, contact your Administrator and refer them to the TSDOC for Administrator Trouble-Shooting Guide for SAS OnlineDocumentation.